4:55pm
by TheDoctorsRose1
Summary: Rachel knows something is wrong when she receives Quinn's text "ON MY WAY". With five minutes remaining to marry Finn she leaves to search for Quinn only to find her among the wreckage of the car accident.


"ON MY WAY"

Quinn's text lit up Rachel's phone at 4:55pm. Everyone had been waiting at the courthouse for the last hour and patience was running low. They had less than five minutes until they're slot would be given to the next young couple eager to elope and the only thing keeping Rachel from getting married in that moment was Quinn. She did not understand why, but Rachel could not get married without her.

"I'm sorry," Rachel whispered reflexively as she read Quinn's text. She hadn't realized she said anything when suddenly it felt like time had stopped.

Her eyes never left her phone. She stared at those three words, going over them in her head, her mind racing with every possible reason why Quinn was taking so long to drive to the courthouse. Surely there wasn't traffic at this time of day and she couldn't have gotten lost. Every theory she crossed had led to the same conclusion. Something must have happened to Quinn. She could feel it in her gut that something was wrong.

"What did you say?" Rachel hadn't felt Finn's hand on her arm. When she came to she involuntarily took a step away from him while never looked away from her phone.

"I'm sorry. I…I have to go," she spoke just loud enough for everyone to hear and looked up at her dads. Hiram knew exactly what she was thinking and gave her an affirming nod. He then took out his car keys and held them out just in time for Rachel to grab them and race out the door. No one made an attempt to stop her because they knew this wedding was a terrible idea. No one except Finn, who followed her into the hallway.

"Rachel! We don't have time for this!" Finn yelled after her but she was too far away. He stopped short and watched her as she turned the corner almost too fast, nearly tripping over herself.

The wedding was the last thing on Rachel's mind. She knew it was a mistake as soon as she spoke to Quinn about the proposal. Quinn had never agreed with the wedding and believed Rachel was making the biggest mistake of her life. She had always been the voice of reason and Rachel should have listened to her. More than anything right now she wished she had listened to Quinn.

Phone held tight in her right hand, dress held up with her left, she sprinted out of the courthouse as fast as she could. When she got to her dad's car she checked her phone and there were already two missed calls and a third incoming call from Finn. She declined the call without a second thought and dialed Quinn's number. No answer. She tried again but no answer.

* * *

><p>Quinn was driving nearly 15 miles over the speed limit when she got Rachel's last text.<p>

"HURRY"

She knew she shouldn't text while driving, nor exceed the speed limit by over 10 mph, but she had to be at Rachel's wedding on time. This was important to her and as much as Quinn disagreed with the wedding, she wanted Rachel to be happy even if it meant giving her away to someone else. Rachel deserved the best and that wasn't Finn, but it wasn't her either.

She held the steering wheel with her left hand so she could text a reply to Rachel with her right. It was already 4:55pm and she still had about two miles left to drive. She might make it to the courthouse after all.

"ON MY WAY"

She pressed send and before she could look back at the road her whole body was thrown to the right. Shards of glass flew from her shattered window, cutting into her face and tearing through her thin white sweater. The airbags activated a fraction too late and her head was thrust into the dashboard leaving a large gash on her forehead. Her door concaved inward, pinning her legs underneath the steering wheel as her car was pushed for several yards by a large truck. When both cars came to a stop, Quinn was semiconscious but couldn't move. She had severe cuts on her left arm and face and a deep gash in her leg that was bleeding profusely, turning her light pink dress a dark shade of red.

Not yet realizing her injuries, she looked around the road to see if anyone had witnessed the crash but there was no one to be seen. She then tried to peer over the crunched hood of the truck that was embedded in her door to see if the driver was conscious but she couldn't see past the wreckage.

Suddenly she heard what could only be Rachel's ring tone. During the collision her phone had been yanked out of her hand and landed just out of reach on the floor by the passenger's seat. She tried to pick up the phone but could barely graze the buttons. The truck was holding her back and with every movement she made she felt the gash in her leg burn more and more. Two consecutive rings passed and on the third she bore through the surging pain with gritted teeth and managed to push the button to answer the call. She could hear Rachel's voice on the other end, "Quinn?" With newfound determination she guided the phone with her fingertips close enough to pick up and place it in her lap. Her weary gaze shifted from Rachel's name on the screen and the dark red stain growing on her dress. She was losing a lot of blood fast and that last attempt had drained her of the little energy she had left. With much effort she tried to form the first word that came to mind. Rachel.

Quinn's exhaustion consumed her, the sound of Rachel's voice getting lost in the car horn, and she surrendered, letting her eyes close and her body slump onto the steering wheel.


End file.
